Roving holder for a juke box selector



Feb. 14. 1956 J. A. AUSTIN 2,734,951

RQVING HOLDER FOR A JUKE BOX SELECTOR Filed on. 5, 1951 I N VEN TOR.

J; A. AUSTIN 4 BY as l%' w W) ATTORNEY ROVING HOLDER FOR A BOX SELECTOR James A. Austin, Tampa, Fla. Application October 5, 1951, Serial No. 249,839 3 Claims. (Cl. 191-22) This invention relates to remote control devices and more particularly to coin controlled record players known as juke boxes or the like used to provide inexpensive entertainment in taverns and other places of business or centers of amusement.

Wall boxes or selectors in which coins are deposited and selections are made of music desired are-located in spaced relation to the record players along a counter or bar, at which people sit or stand during the consumption of food and drink or for conversing and other purposes.

In places where food and drink are served thesestanited States Patent '0 tionary wall boxes or selectors are arranged in spaced locations including along counters and the use of these is not completely satisfactory for the reason that access to them often is obstructed, sometimes by persons who have no interest in them or in the purpose for which they are installed.

Further, ordinary selectors are expensive and when a large number of them are used a very substantial investment is involved, it being almost impossible to place the selectors along counters or bars so that they will always be most convenient to the customer.

It is an object of the invention to provide a roving holder for a juke box selector which may be located beside and readily moved along a counter or bar and disposed at any desired location or position for ready and convenient access to a customer or successively to one customer after another with maximum convenience and minimum expense.

Another object of the invention is to provide a suitable electric connection between a roving holder or mounting for a reciprocable wall box or selector so that electrical energy may be supplied thereto at all times and at the same time minimum obstruction afforded to the use of the counter or bar.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a perspective illustrating one application of the invention,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary detail perspective of the holder and its mounting per se,

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective of the mounting bracket 7 for the selector.

Briefly stated, the invention comprises a holder or mounting for a juke box selector or wall box in which coins are deposited for causing operation of a device at a distance as, for example, the playing of a phonograph record or the like. The holder is reciprocable on a track which may be attached to the rear edge of a counter and in which conductors are carried which are engaged by spring fingers having connections to the selector with the conductors having connections with the juke box and a source of electrical energy. The holder is intended not only to carry the wall box or selector but is intended also to carry accessories in connection with the particular 2,734,951 Patented Feb. 14, 1956 business with which the structure is employed as, for example, in a restaurant it wouud carry menus, napkins and condiments.

With reference to the drawings, a counter or bar 10 is provided from which customers are adapted to be accommodated, stools 11 being located in front of the counter onwhich the customers may sit if they desire. The present invention provides supporting means for a juke box selector 12 in a manner to permit the selector to be selectively positioned alongthe counter at any desired location. In order toaccomplish this result, a mounting bracket is provided of -L-shaped construction having an upright portion '13 and a horizontal portion 14. The upright portion is provided with opposed mounting slots 15 and 16 for the reception of fasteners (not shown) attached to the selector, the length and width of such slots permitting slight adjustment of the selector. This upright portion of the bracket may'also ,serve, as a mounting or support for appropriate accessories and for this purpose a socket-providing plate 17. is electrically welded or otherwise secured to the back of the upright portion 13 and from this plate a tongue 18 is struck out. Behind the plate 17 menus or other articles may be disposed and the tongue maybe employed for holding napkins or the like, I Accessory holders may be attached to other portions ofthe bracket in any desired manner or position. For example, the tube 19 may be employed for'holding straws or other items while on the opposite end of the bracket a retainer 20 for salt, pepper, condiment or the like may be attached.

The L-shaped bracket which is attached directly to the selector is supported at the rear of its horizontal portion by roller 21 of a non-surface-marring character such as a type of plastic and rests upon the upper surface of the counter 10.

The forward portion of the selector-carrying bracket is supported by a bracket 22 comprised of parallel arms and a connecting portion, the connecting portion being joined by welds or fasteners 23 to the selector bracket. The bracket 22 is provided with openings 24 in which are mounted pins 25, on which are disposed pulleys 26 carried on bearings 27 pressed against spacing collars 28 by means of nuts 29. One pulley 26 is carried by each of the legs of the bracket 22 near the upper or connecting portion of the bracket and in like manner a pair of corresponding pulleys 30 are carried on the legs of the bracket 22 and between the two sets of pulleys is formed a raceway. The pulleys are received on a mounting strip 31 secured by bolts 32 to the upright portion of the counter 10, the strip 32 being maintained in slightly spaced relation to the counter by means of spacing sleeves 33. The selector is supported in the manner described to permit it to be readily moved along the rear edge of the counter and due to the space between the rear edge of the counter and the strip 31 crumbs of bread or the like can be fully brushed rearwardly from the counter.

In order to provide electrical connection between the selector and the phonograph or juke box, a conductor holding strip 34 of insulating characteristics is attached by screws 35 to the mounting strip 31, the conductor holding strip being provided with a pair of longitudinal grooves 36 in which are located fiat conductors 37. These flat conductors are connected by wires 38 with the player mechanism of the phonograph. A pair of contacts 39 engage the flat conductor strips 37, such contacts 39 being maintained against the fiat conductors 37 by means of spring fingers 40 connected by wires 41 with the selector in order to permit the transmission of selections in the playing of music on records. The strip 31 is provided with an upstanding stop 43 at each end of the same and is preferably grounded through a wire 42.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that by the present invention simple mechanism is provided for the mounting of the selector of a coin-controlled record player so that the selector may be readily movable along the rear end of a counter or bar and in addition to providing greater convenience to customers reduction in in vestment will be possible. 7

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and the scope thereof and therefore the invention is not limited by that which is shown in the drawings and described in the specification but only as indicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a counter or bar, a juke box selector for roving movement from one end of the counter or bar to the other, said juke box selector including a holder for supporting the selector and comprising an insulated rail fixed in spaced relation to the rear of said counter or bar and extending longitudinally thereof, electrical conductor strips fixedly attached to said rail and electrically connected to a juke box, a bracket extending downwardly from said roving holder, opposed rollers carried by said bracket and movably engaging opposed edges of said rail, flexible electrical contacts carried by said bracket and slidably engaging said fixed conductor strips, and conductor means electrically connecting said flexible electrical contacts with said juke box selector in all positions of said selector along the counter or bar.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1, and including upstanding stop means on the rail to prevent the rollers from sliding off the rail.

3. In combination with a counter or bar, a juke box selector for roving movement from one end of the counter or bar to the other, said juke box selector including a holder for supporting the selector and comprising an insulated rail fixed in spaced relation to the rear of said counter or bar and extending longitudinally thereof, electrical conductor strips fixedly carried by said rail and insulated therefrom, wires connecting said strips to a juke box, an arm extending. downwardly from said roving holder in parallel relation to said .rail, upper and lower rollers carried by said arm and movably engaging the upper and lower edges of the rail respectively, resilient electrical contacts carried by said arm and slidably engaging said fixed conductor strips, conductor means electrically connecting said resilient electrical contacts with said juke box selector in all positions of said selector along the elongated counter or bar, an arm extending forwardly from said roving holder, and a roller mounted on said last-mentioned arm for continuous contact engagement with the top of the counter or bar.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

